Following the legal hurdles removed by an Abuja High Court on Monday, a renowned business magnet and socialite, Aisha Sulaiman Achimugu, has been arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Her legal team through Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Chikaosolu Ojukwu, disclosed that Achimugu, who voluntarily returned from London, was arrested by EFCC operatives around 5 a.m. this Tuesday upon her arrival at the airport.
Before the arrest, Achimugu’s lawyers had told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday that she would present herself to the EFCC this Tuesday, April 29, in compliance with an ongoing investigation into allegations of criminal conspiracy and money laundering.
The Senior Advocate, however, pointed out that the arrest contravenes the spirit of the undertaking made in court.
“She has immediately gone on a hunger strike. She is a prisoner of conscience,” Ojukwu said, insisting that the development violates the rule of law.
EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, confirmed that Achimugu was expected to appear at the Commission today as ordered by the court. On the claim of her arrest at the airport, Oyewale said the agency would respond in due course.
Recall, Achimugu’s legal team, led by Kehinde Ogunwumiju and Chikaosolu Ojukwu, had filed a fundamental human rights enforcement suit against six security agencies: the Nigeria Police Force, the ICPC, the State Security Service (SSS), the EFCC, the NSCDC, and the Nigerian Immigration Service, following her declared wanted by EFCC on March 28 over allegations of money laundering and criminal conspiracy linked to the controversial MBA Trading and Capital Limited scheme.
She therefore filed the suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/626/2025 to restrain the EFCC and other agencies from arresting or detaining her.
In its counter-affidavit, the EFCC explained that Achimugu had previously been granted administrative bail but violated its terms by failing to honour further invitations.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, while ruling on the submissions, noted that Achimugu had expressed willingness to cooperate with the EFCC, and therefore, no controversy existed and consequently ordered her to appear before the EFCC on April 29 while directing the agency to return to court on April 30 to report on her compliance.
